Opening branches of government authorities and agencies outside Doha and building more overpasses in the city could solve the worsening problem of heavy traffic in the major streets of the city, say government officials and residents. Traffic jams in many streets are a major problem every motorist who drives around Doha encounters every day especially during rush hours when students and employees go to their schools and offices and back home and even during off days. The bad planning of roads and numerous excavation works and road repairs add to the mounting traffic problem, officials and residents observe. They suggest finishing the excavations and road works fast especially near intersections which witness more traffic jam. Jassim Abdullah Jassim Al Malki, member of Central Municipal Council in Doha, said the traffic problem resulted from the bad planning for the roads which did not consider the future vision unlike European countries, adding establishing new roads and highways could solve the problem. Mohammad Nader Jalal, a resident engineer was of the same view saying the problem demands a radical solution which is redesigning the street plan to accommodate more cars. He hoped the underground metro would solve the problem provided that residents are ready to use the metro not their cars especially during hot summer months. Doha resident Mohammed Ahmad, blames the excavation and maintenance works on the streets such as on Salwa road which takes a long time to finish as the reason for the traffic jams. He said government institutions and schools should not be concentrated in certain areas but be built in various districts. Solutions set up by concerned authorities are short solutions and not long-term, said Ahmed Al Mustafawi. “We can’t deny the efforts of done by concerned authorities to solve the problem including establishment of new roads and rehabilitation of the present road networks, besides the projects of highways and road intersections established in Doha. But establishing a good public transportation system could ease the problem as every family in Qatar has more than one car,” he said. Meshael Hassam Mohammad, CMC member in Hilal Area, said one reason for this problem is the culture of the residents and citizens who prefer to drive the same roads not the new ones, adding the new roads which were opened lately greatly contribute to handling the traffic jam. “Citizens and residents have also responsibility in looking for solutions in the problem by using alternative roads not the same road which many motorists take,” he said, adding government projects like the metro could contribute greatly to solve the problem. “But the question is will the citizens be willing to leave their cars and use the metro?”

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